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Snakes around the neck?
Okay...This is the only forum where I have seen people completely flip out about seeing pics of folks with snakes around their neck.
Now, I totally understand not doing this with larger constrictors because of the risk of strangulation. But corn snakes and ball pythons? I'll be honest, I have on occasion taken my elderly BP out and casually drape him around my neck while I'm giving him fresh water or spot-cleaning his cage. In 20 years, I have done this same thing with many snakes and never had an issue, although I have never done so with anything larger than a BP or an adult kingsnake.
I keep seeing the argument of pressure points being brought up repeatedly, and while I am no expert in that area, I can acknowledge the plausibility of that scenario. However, I would like for someone to explain it in greater detail for me (and any future viewers). How many pressure points are there on the neck and realistically, how possible is it for a snake to touch these? Does it have to touch them all at once for unconsciousness to occur? From my rudimentary understanding of pressure points, it would seem that the nose or tail of the snake would be be "ideal" to accomplish this, compared to the relatively flat, smooth sides of the snake's body.
Then I have to consider: what is the probability of something like this actually happening? I mean, yeah, anything can happen. Mind you, I don't really advocate that people put snakes around their necks anyway, but still, the way some people react on this forum, its like, "OMG, don't handle your ball python. It might strike you on the wrist and severe an artery!" Possible? Sure. Likelihood of happening? ...Meh...not enough to keep me from handling pythons.
I mean, I'm trying to get a grasp on this, but I just don't understand the reaction. Maybe it just needs to be explained better to me, I suppose.
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